RACHEL Reeves, are you just a self-seeking parasite like your boss, or just plain thick?
Before the election you were going to tax the rich and the non-doms and that would finance your plans, but wait – you were told countless times by the SNP and Office for Budget Responsibility that there was at least an £18 billion black hole. All in Labour denied it, even the sycophant Sarwar with his “watch my lips”. You were the shadow chancellor and did not have a clue – aye right.
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The SNP as a party in opposition at Westminster knew about the black hole, so did you ignore that in your craven lust for power? I suspect all your fancy plans being financed by going after the non-doms were a ruse to win votes. We know that you will need these people to invest in your PFI and the like.
So, no going after the Tory parasites who made millions out of Covid, instead you will hit the elderly, and they can do nothing about it. There is an added bonus for you in that after this winter and those in years to come your state pension costs will go down as pensioners are decimated and your lip service to the triple lock will be next to meaningless. Always a silver lining, eh Rachel?
Keith MacBean
Glasgow
WE DID NOT VOTE FOR THIS!!!
We were promised change. Instead, we got pensioners’ winter heating payments cut, and essential services slashed. Right-wingers try to blame workers seeking wage increases. We reject such attempts to divide the working class. Faced with rising costs all round, workers have a right to defend their living standards.
After 14 years of Tory austerity, Labour could have chosen to tax the rich. Instead, they’ve chosen more cuts. Pensioners didn’t cause this crisis. Millions of pensioners lose hundreds of pounds per year, meanwhile energy companies have more than TRIPLED their profits, and MPs get generous heating allowances for their second homes. You might say “it’s terrible, but it’s been passed now”. That’s no reason to give up! Thatcher’s poll tax, passed by parliament, was defeated through widespread community resistance action.
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A tax of 1% on the assets of the richest 1% in Britain would raise £23 billion, meaning the “black hole” would vanish. Why is that such an awkward choice to make? Members of Tayside and Fife UNITE Community plan to protest in Dundee City Centre, against cuts to pensioners’ winter heating funds and all attacks on working-class living standards, at noon on Saturday, September 28; and again, same time, same place, one week later. Join with us in forcing this so-called “Labour” government to change course!
Dave Coull, Mick Taylor and Maz Mitcham
on behalf of UNITE Community
ISN’T the Labour party conference merely a bunch of liars assembling to laud the king of liars?
Please don’t refer to this as the Labour Party. Our parents will be writhing in their graves at that nonsense.
If Labour’s assessment in opposition stated that withdrawal of the Winter Fuel Payment would lead to 4000 deaths, then their withdrawing it without doing an impact assessment means that it is now Labour policy for 4000 pensioners to die. Scots voted for this? Scots voted for other Scots to be forced to death?
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My problem is, I have a gas boiler. I switch it off because the allowance is cut at a time when government is allowing prices to rise. Ok, but my shower is gas-driven. And to retain that essential hygiene facility, the standing charges are so high. They are disproportionate. Should I take my heating off grid to save the charges? Just use an expensive two-bar electric fire in the lounge, and a boiled kettle to wash? Aren’t we between a rock and a hard place?
Over 50 years of working and paying taxes for this? This is real Labour. Please, please, indy now. Save us from this.
Jim Taylor
Scotland
THE crisis at Rape Crisis Scotland is one of its own making. It is unbelievable that its current chief executive, Sandy Brindley, was unaware of the controversial activities in the Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre (ERCC).
She claims only to have known about the problems last October when she told the board of ERCC to deal with it – but apparently was still unaware that there were no women-only spaces at this centre for 16 months?
READ MORE: Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre CEO resigns after 'failure to act professionally'
In case readers have forgotten, Ms Brindley was the go-to talking head for any issues involving alleged abuse of women. This included the allegations against Alex Salmond. She was everywhere across the media, so it is extremely surprising that she was unaware of the controversy surrounding the then chief exec of ERCC – appointed by a board headed by Maggie Chapman MSP.
I am sure I’m not alone in thinking that Ms Brindley has only now started to make public comments as she fears for her own job. Every comment she makes raises more questions. There is an old adage that once you become the story, it’s time to go. Bye Bye Ms Brindley.
Alex Beckett
Paisley
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